Smoking pipe



July 25, 1939. LA FRANCA 2,167,242

SMOKING PIPE Filed April 50, 1938 53cm V4 Teef A e/m/CA.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS'l Patented July 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFCE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in smoking pipes and has particular reference to a stem attachment for trapping saliva and tobacco bits to assure the smoker of a clean, mild, and

A pleasant smoke.

Another feature of the invention resides in a pipe stem attachment for ltering tobacco bits and trapping saliva in the stem of a smoking pipe, which is easily emptied of any trapped substance which `may accumulate therein for the purpose of maintaining the device in a sanitary condition.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of a lter device which includes a smoke tube having a removable recessed plug intermediate the ends thereof for dividing the tube into a smoke inlet passage and an axially alined nondirect communicating smoke outlet passage, the plug being removable to facilitate the insertion of a pipe cleaner through the axially alined passages to effect a cleaning of the same of any tobacco bits or moisture which might accumulate therein.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a smoking pipe attachment which is simple and inexpensive of manufacture, easy to take apart for cleaning and replaced, and which affords a smoker a clean, dry, cool, and pleasant smoking sensation.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent as the following specication is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevational view of a smoking pipe equipped with my attachment.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional View.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the attachment withdrawn from the pipe stem and illustrating the manner of withdrawing the removable smoke tube from its enclosing cylinder.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view on the line 4 4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the smoke tube with the removable plug separated therefrom.

Figure 6 is a detail horizontal sectional view of a slightly modied form of smoke tube.

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of the removable plug embodied in the form of the invention shown in Figure 6.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the numeral I designates my improved .smoking pipe in its entirety and which includes a tobacco bowl Il from which a straight stem I2 extends. The stem |2 is provided with an en- (Cl. ISI-218) larged bore I3 which extends from the outer end of the stem to a point adjacent the bowl I I, the bore I3 communicating with a relatively short reduced bore I4 which enters the bowl I I and which provides a vertical shoulder I at the joinder of 5 the bores I3 and I4. A mouth piece I6 having a central smoke passage I'I is formed at its inner end with a reduced portion I8 which frictionally ts into the bore |3 and the said mouth piece has its inner end further reduced and formed with a 10 screw threaded nipple I9. Fitted within the bore I3 is a metal cylinder 29 which is internally screw threaded at opposite ends as at 2| and 22. The threaded end 2| is screwed onto the threaded nipple I9 of the mouth piece I6 whereby the 15 metal cylinder is supported by the mouth piece and may be withdrawn from the bore I3 upon separation of the mouth piece from the stem |2. The inner end of the metal cylinder abuts the shoulder I5 when the cylinder is in fully inserted 2o position within the bore I3.

Insertible into and out of the metal cylinder 29 is a tubular member 23 which includes a centrally located ring 26| having a transversely disposed opening 25. Extending from opposite sides 2 5 of the ring 24 and axially alined is a front smoke inlet tube 26 and a rear outlet tube 21. The outer end of the inlet tube 26 is provided with a screw threaded flange 28 which threads with the threaded portion 22 of the cylinder 2B. Project- 30 ing beyond the threaded ange 28 is a reduced manipulating head 29, the inner side of the head being cut away at an angle as at 3 to expose the front end of the bore in the smoke inlet tube 26. The head 29 is provided with a knurled surface to 35 facilitate turning of the tubular member 23 when screwing the same into and out of engagement with the metal cylinder 2i). The head 29 extends into the reduced bore It and is of a diameter less than the bore to enable smoke to pass there- 40 around and enter the smoke inlet tube 26. The head 29 also acts as a baille to prevent tobacco bits packed in the bowl II from clogging the smoke inlet tube 26.

The smoke outlet tube 21 is provided with an 45 annular flange 3|, adjacent the outer end thereof which acts as a stop when inserting the extreme outer end of the outlet tube 21 into the enlarged bore 32 at the inner endof the mouthpiece I6.

The walls of the connecting ring taper doWn- 50 Wardly to provide a tapered seat 33 in which a plug member 31| having tapered side walls frictionally en gage. A portion of the top wall of the plug member 34 and a portion of the adjacent side Wall of the said member are cut away to pro- 5g;

vide a smoke outlet passage 35, which passage communicates with the inner end of the smoke inlet t-ube 26. Likewise, the bottom of the plug member and the adjacent side wall of the said member are cut away to provide a smoke inlet passage 36 which registers with the inlet end of the smoke outlet tube 21. Thus the plug member 34 acts in the capacity of a partition to prevent the smoke from passing direct from the smoke inlet tube 26 to the smoke outlet tube 21, but these tubes are indirectly connected by the space between tne tubular members 23 and the inner walls of the cylinder 20, the said space constituting a tobacco bit and saliva chamber 31. The passage 35 opens upwardly into the chamber 31 While the passage 3B opens downwardly into the said chamber.

Assume that the pipe I is in the assembled condition as illustrated in Figures l and 2, and that tobacco is placed in the bowl Il and lighted by the user. As the user draws through the mouthpiece I6, smoke will be drawn from the bowl l l through the bore U5, into the smoke inlet tube 26, outlet passage 35 into the chamber 31, and any tobacco bits which may be drawn from the bowl I l with the smoke will be trapped in the chamber 31 and only the smoke will enter the smoke inlet passage 36 and pass out through the smoke outlet tube 21, bore l1, to the mouth of the user. Should saliva or moisture enter the bore I1 from the mouth of the user, the same will gravitate into the smoke outlet tube 21 and be trapped in the chamber 31 by its passage through the down passage 33. It will therefore be seen that this construction assures a clean, dry smoke to the user of the pipe. The user is also assured of a cooler smoke, for the smoke is delayed in its passage from the bowl to the mouthpieceby passing the same through the enlarged chamber 31, which chamber permits the heated smoke to eX- pand and cool.

When it is desired to remove any accumulation of tobacco bits and saliva from the chamber 31, the mouthpiece i3 is separated from the stem l2 as illustrated in Figure 3, after which the operator grasps the knurled head 23 and unscrews the tubular member 23 from the cylinder 20 and pulls outwardly upon the tubular member to separate the same from the cylinder. Although the flange 3| is freely slidable in the cylinder 2t] and acts as a stop, it also serves to clear the cylinder of any accumulation therein, by pulling the same through the open end of the cylinder. If further cleaning is necessary, the cylinder 2G may be unscrewed from the mouthpiece IG and the cylinder thoroughly washed and dried by the insertion of a cloth or pipe cleaner through the cylinder and its wiping contact with the inner walls thereof.

To facilitate cleaning of the tubular member 23, the operator pushes the plug member 34 free of its s-eat 33, after which a pipe cleaner may be inserted into the outer end of the smoke outlet tube 21 and will enable the pipe cleaner to be inserted through the entire length of the tubular member, which cleaning could not be accomplished with a pipe cleaner in a single operation if the plug member 34 remained in its position within the ring 24. After cleaning, the plug member 34 is replaced within the ring 24 and the parts reassembled to the position shown in Figures l and 2.

InFigures 6 and 7 of the drawing, I have illustrated a slightly modified form and wherein the connecting ring 24 which joins the smoke inlet tube 23 and smoke outlet tube 21, is provided with passages 38 in the side walls and which register with a recess 39 provided in a plug member MI. rllhe recess 39 establishes communication between the inner end of the smoke outlet tube 21 and the passages 38. The plug member di! has a portion of its top cut away as at M for register with the outlet end of the bore of the .inlet tube 23. In this form, smoke may enter the chamber 31 through the cut away portion M and pass .from the chamber to the smoke outlet t-ube 21 through the passages 38 and recess 39. Also, saliva from the smoke outlet tube 21 may gravitate to the chamber 31 through the recess 39 and passages 38.

WhileI have shown and described what I consider to be the most practical embodiments of my invention, I wish it to be understood that such changes and alterations as come within the scope of the appended claim may be resorted to if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In a pipe embodying a bowl,.a stem, and mouthpiece .having aligned passages and a reduced threaded inner portionon the mouthpiece wherein a tube has one end in threaded engagement with the reduced portion of the mouthpiece, and a second tube, provided with a transverse opening, has athreaded engagement with the other end of the rst tube, a plug for said opening having a pair of slots, one slot being adapted to communicate with one portion of the interior of the rst tube and the interior of the second tube, the other slot being adapted for communication with Vanother portion of the interior of the first tube and the interior of the second tube, and the said `plug being removable to permit a stan-dard pipe Acleaner to be passed through the mouthpiece and the second tube with one longitudinal movement thereof.

SALVATORE LA FRANCA. 

